Training Ends

Over the next hour, Ryosuke picked up several more ninjutsu rated B-rank or higher, some of which he had never even heard of.

Yet Shisui still handled the situation with ease. He hadn't even activated his Sharingan.

In the end, Sanhe was the first to run out of steam.

His chakra was depleted.

"I can't keep this up. If this goes on, we'll only become more passive. Miyuki, we need to think of something."

Sanhe was panting like a bull and drenched in sweat. He couldn't even maintain his Sharingan anymore.

Miyuki looked just as grim now, her earlier composure gone.

Then she looked over at Ryosuke, who was eating his bento.

That's right. Ryosuke had actually dug three bentos out from beneath the wooden post. He'd already finished the first and was getting ready to start on the second.

"Ryosuke, we're a team. We need your help."

"Why are you asking him?" Sanhe was in a sorry state, but clearly didn't want to do this.

Shisui, on the other hand, stood watching with his arms folded, making no move to stop them.

"Because he's the only one who got a bell, idiot."

Miyuki didn't want to admit it either, but it was the truth.

Ryosuke was younger than them, but he seemed stronger. More importantly, he'd already gotten a bell.

"Huh?"

Ryosuke was about to eat his second bento.

Miyuki's words caught him off guard, and he looked a little embarrassed.

"Sure."

Ryosuke stood up.

"It's that easy?" Sanhe said, incredulous.

"Of course not."

"Then what do you want?" Miyuki asked.

"I can help you, but these two bentos will be my payment. Helping for free isn't my thing."

Ryosuke pointed at the two bentos beside him.

"That's it?" Sanhe rolled his eyes, thinking Ryosuke had been after something serious.

Miyuki didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She'd expected Ryosuke to say something like, "You all owe me a favor."

For a ninja, especially one from the Uchiha Clan, a favor was practically worth a life.

"That's it."

Ryosuke nodded solemnly.

"Deal."

Miyuki nodded too.

Ryosuke patted his stomach, stretched, then walked over to the two of them.

"What's your plan?" Miyuki glanced at Shisui, then whispered to Ryosuke.

"You two draw his attention. Leave the rest to me."

As he spoke, he handed his ninja tools to Sanhe and gave Miyuki a Military Ration Pill.

"What's this?" Miyuki stared at the pill in her hand, stunned.

"You're almost out of chakra too, right? But the main event is coming up. The result depends on how well you two work with me."

When he finished, Ryosuke formed Hand Seals. "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof, poof, poof!

More than twenty Ryosukes appeared beside him.

That was the limit of what he could do after putting all his experience into increasing his chakra reserves.

It was nothing compared to Naruto, who could make two thousand Shadow Clones at a time.

Even so, it startled Sanhe.

"You know the Shadow Clone Technique too?"

The Shadow Clone Technique wasn't much for a Jonin, but it was still an S-rank jutsu.

Ryosuke ignored him and bent forward. "Let's begin."

"Fire Style: Dance of the Fire Phoenix!"

Miyuki launched a ninjutsu first, this time using one with the widest range.

The entire training ground became a sea of flames.

Ryosuke and his Shadow Clones charged at Shisui.

Shisui's lips curled into a smile. This was what he'd wanted to see.

But he didn't let up. Several water dragons surged into the air around him, gradually suppressing the flames.

Sanhe moved at that moment too.

A shower of Kunai flew toward Shisui.

Shisui dodged to the side, but immediately noticed the Explosive Tags attached to them.

"Body Flicker Technique!"

Shisui vanished from where he stood.

"Sonido!"

Using Pesquisa to lock onto Shisui's position, Ryosuke followed him with Sonido.

But Shisui spun around and kicked him away.

With a bang, the Shadow Clone disappeared.

A flicker of surprise crossed Shisui's face. Then he activated his Sharingan.

Only then did he realize something was wrong.

The Kunai scattered across the ground had traces of chakra.

Could it be?

Sure enough, the next moment, all the Kunai on the ground turned into Ryosukes.

"Shadow Clones combined with the Transformation Technique? A little creative, but not much."

Shisui leaped into the air and spun, sending countless Kunai flying.

Every one of Ryosuke's Shadow Clones was hit.

By then, the flames on the training ground had been completely extinguished.

"Still didn't work? I told you, that guy was useless." Sanhe knelt on one knee, biting his lip.

Miyuki's face grew even paler.

"There's nothing we can do. Our opponent is Shisui, the 'Body Flicker.' He's the one in our clan who comes closest to that person."

Sanhe fell silent. He knew who Miyuki meant by "that person."

"Are you giving up already? I only wanted to show you that on a real battlefield, who lives or dies isn't decided solely by how many jutsu you know. What you need to learn is teamwork and unity."

Shisui spoke in a chastising tone.

"Where's that guy? Did he run away?" Sanhe looked around and suddenly spotted Ryosuke behind a wooden post.

"What are you doing hiding back there?"

"Huh?" Ryosuke peeked out from behind the post, a grain of rice still at the corner of his mouth.

"He's sneaking bites of our bento!" Sanhe shouted.

"Didn't you say I could have the bentos?" Ryosuke retorted.

"That was on the condition that you helped us get the bells!" Sanhe grew even angrier.

Ryosuke shook his head helplessly, then tossed the two bells in his hand toward them.

The other three fell silent.

Shisui looked down at his waist in astonishment.

Only then did he realize that, at some point, the two bells at his waist had been replaced with two stones.

"Substitution Technique? When?"

"How did he do that?" Sanhe asked in amazement, staring at the bells on the ground.

Miyuki shook her head. "I didn't notice either. Now that I think about it, he really is much stronger than us. He might even be nearly as strong as our teacher."

"Isn't that a bit much? He looks about eight." Sanhe was even more shocked by Miyuki's words.

Miyuki didn't answer this time.

Ryosuke finally finished the two bentos and walked out, patting his stomach.

"These bentos can't have been cheap, Teacher Shisui. Thanks for the meal."

"You all did very well," Shisui said with a smile, though there was a hint of helplessness in it.

"Teacher, can we end training early today?" Ryosuke asked.

Shisui nodded.

All three cheered at once.

"Then let's go eat barbecue today. It's on the teacher!" Sanhe said, then ran toward the village.

As Ryosuke passed Shisui, he said quietly, "Teacher Shisui, it was the shadows."